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Keene
Valley New York .com is the premier online guide to Keene Valley
and the High Peaks in Upstate New York showcasing
hundreds of exciting attractions throughout the
Olympic region and the Adirondacks.
The hamlets of Keene and Keene Valley are known as the "Home
to the High Peaks" boasting the
greatest number of peaks in a single location. These mountains rise
majestically in the Keene Valley Region making this area a meca
for hikers, climbers and other visitors who wish to experience the
breathtaking beauty of the Adirondack mountains. There are literally
hundreds of trails located in the tiny hamlet of Keene including
the trail to the summit of Mt. Marcy, the highest mountain in New
York State.
**UPDATE ON Tropical Storm Irene**
Keene and Keene Valley is OPEN!!
Keene,
NY, "Home of the High Peaks" is open. The hamlets of Keene,
Keene Valley and St Huberts were hit very hard by Tropical Storm
Irene. All town roads were closed, 5 bridges were washed out and
many homes and businesses were flooded. Thanks to a huge volunteer
effort under way much has been cleaned up and most roads are open
as well as all local B&Bs, restaurants, stores and art galleries.
The High Peaks trailheads
to Cascade, Rooster Comb and the Garden (Marcy, Gothics, etc) are
open as is Giant from 9N. The Dix Range will open with Rte 73 (est
Sept 16). The leaves are just starting to turn so it is a great
time to visit.
The Impact of Irene.
Keene received over 10 inches of rain, which flooded the entire
valley floor from the middle of Keene Valley to the bottom of Spruce
hill and turned the main streets (Rte 73) in Keene Valley and Keene
into a river.
Paul Smiths professor Kurt Stager provides an excellent visual tour
of the damage on his bog site:
http://savethecarbon.blogspot.com/2011/08/irene-devastates-ausable-valley.html?adktrailhead
The rain caused 22 new slides in the region, which will make for
exciting new options for ice climbers and back country skiers this
winter. Meanwhile hiking trails are being opened daily, check the
DEC web site for the latest listings: http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9198.html
While much cleanup has been done, this second major flood within
4 months has come at great cost to many local families, businesses
and farms. Federal support will only cover a fraction of the costs.
A local fund has been established to help people get back on their
feet. Learn more about it and the variety of ways you can help at:
www.keenefloodrecoveryfund.org
The
History of Keene
Keene received its charter on March 19, 1808. It consists of the
hamlets of Keene, Keene Valley and St. Huberts. It was formed from
portions of Elizabethtown and Jay and until 1848 included all of
the land now lying in North Elba, which is now home to Lake Placid,
host to two winter Olympic Games. After
the Civil War, a young landscape artist by the name of Perkins settled
in the area for two years. His beautiful paintings inspired his
colleagues to travel to the Adirondacks to see what he had seen.
As this local population of artists expanded, the Keene Valley Region
became a popular retreat for writers and artists. Today, Keene is
home to many respected authors and artists who find inspiration
in the natural beauty of the High Peaks.
Topographical
Maps of the Adirondack Mountains
High Peaks Region 
click
here | Select
Adirondack Hikes and Trail Descriptions
The
Algonquin tour
An introduction the many landscapes of mountains, brooks
and lakes of the Adirondack. The best way to discover the second highest summit
of the Adirondack with a trip to some remote areas. The whole hike is a loop of
19 km. This may look very long but its all downhill after the summit of Algonquin.
All the beautiful nature scenes make this one a must to do for a hiker with an
average experience.
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Mount Marcy:
This
is the highest mountain in the Adirondack with 5344 feet. Marcy is located in
the middle of the High Peaks Region. This mountain must be seen from a very close
location to be able to admire its beauty. Three of the major accesses to the Adirondack
region make possible a day hike to it. The shortest approach start at Heart Lake
and  follows
in and out the Van Hoevenberg Trail. This is a 23,75 km hike that takes an average
of 7½ hours. The easiest way to shorten this distance is to camp at Marcy Dam.
This will cut 7,3 km to the distance. Marcy Dam is a rustic camping area. It takes
an hour of walk to get there from Heart Lake.
Gothics
Gothics, the 10th highest peak,
has an impressive 360° view. This proposed hike is less popular than the one
starting from The Garden, but it has a lot of things to see as: many viewpoints
of the Gothics Arch, an impressive ascent to the Pyramid summit on your way down
and a passage near two of the highest waterfalls in the Adirondack. The whole
hike is a loop of 21 km. The only drawback is the long and doll Lake Road you
will walk on your way in and out.
Colden
Colden is located between Marcy and Algonquin. It offers a 360° summit view
and a long open ridge. This trip is an other way to visit the great area of Avalanche
Pass. The whole hike is a loop of 21 km.
 Phelps
A small summit from the list of those over 4,000 feet but its half open summit
has one of the best views in the Adirondack. Over 10 km of the trail is on flat
or low grade ground. The whole hike is 14 km long.
Noonmark
An open summit that is just under the 4,000 feet level, very similar to Cascade.
It has a better viewpoint toward many of the highest peaks than Cascade. If you're
looking for a longer trail, it's possible to make a loop and even add Round Mountain
on your way. The shortest hike has a total of 6.6 km.
The
Brothers
This is not a true summit, but a group of three great viewpoints
toward the Great Range. The shortest hike to the second Brother (the best one)
has a total of 5,7 km.
Bald Peak
A
bare rock summit part of a long ridge with many interesting viewpoints. The whole
hike is 12.4 km long.
Dix
Dix is one of the most Southward 4,000 feet summit of the Adirondack High Peaks
Region. Starting from the parking lot on Rte 73, this hike follows a brook for
almost 3 km but has a last section toward the summit of Dix that is one of the
steepest of the Adirondack. The whole hike is 22 km long.
Colvin/Indian
Head
This summit is less visited than the other highest peaks, but
has many interesting things to offer. Part of the trail is along Gill Brook with
its many water cascades. The trail section after the junction to the Dix summit
is very steep by place and passes over many small summits along a tree covered
ridge. On your way down, don't miss Indian Head and Fish Hawk Cliffs. They are
two great viewpoints on the lakes and mountains.
Saddleback
Mountain
Saddleback Mt. is
named for its two peaks with a small valley. It is located between Gothics and
Basin Mt. in the Great Range. The East side trail of Saddleback offers great views
of the Gothics. The West side trail traverses a very steep rock cliff unique in
its style in the Adirondacks. This rock cliff is very steep and ropes may be needed
for safe passage.
 Giant
Mountain:
This is one of
the most popular summit of the Adirondacks. The two main trails are at 1 km (Roaring
Brook Trail) and at 3 km (Ridge Trail) South from St-Hubert. The Ridge Trail is
the most spectacular one with from the middle of its height a long bare rock section
with many viewpoints toward the West over the Dix Range, The Great Range, Mt.
Marcy, Algonquin Peak and up to Cascade Mt.. This trail difficulty is similar
to the one of Algonquin Peak from Heart Lake. They have similar length and high.
The beginning of the Ridge Trail is very steep whereas the one of Algonquin Peak
is very progressive. The second most popular approach is the Roaring Brook  Trail
that passes a side trail leading to a waterfall (Roaring Brook Falls) then follows
a ridge with some viewpoints to the summit. It is possible to make a long loop
using those two trails.
Mount Skylight:
This mountain peak is one of the most remote of the high peaks and is located
just South of Mt. Marcy. It has a very distinctive round shape and it's summit
is almost flat and as big as a football field. The South approach from Upper Works
is the easiest one to get there in one day.
Cascade
Mountain:
One of the most
popular summits of the Adirondacks with Algonquin Peak and Giant Mt.. It's the
easiest hike among the 4,000 feet summit. Cascade Mt. has a 360 degree view from
its large rocky top. There is a magnificent view to the North of the entire Lake
Placid Valley. The entire hike is in a wooden trail except for the last ½ km,
which is on bare rock. This summit stands apart from the other High Peaks, so
there is no view over those highest summits that are Mt. Marcy, Mt. Colden or
Algonquin Peak.
Blake Peak
This summit is part of the Pinnacle
Ridge just after Mt. Colvin in the Upper Ausable Lake region. This is a tree-covered
summit with a viewpoint between the trees to the South at Elk Lake. Even if the
trail that leads there from Mt. Colvin is a marked trail, it looks more like a
herd path than like a regular maintained trail. They are many very steep sections
that might be easier to pass with help of a ladder or a rope.
Algonquin
Peak
This
is the second highest mountain in the Adirondack at 5114 feet. It's also one of
the three most popular ones with Cascade Mt. and Giant Mt.. It takes less than
three hours to hike up and less than 2,5 hours to hike down for a 13 km over all
distance from Heart Lake.
The 46 High Peaks
 |
| Airondack
Hikers
Photo courtesy of Jim Grant | The
High Peaks Region is famous for its magnificant 46 peaks
including Mt. Marcy, the highest peak in New york State, with an elevation of
5344' .The 46 peaks include the following mountains (listed in order of height):
Mt. Marcy, Algonquin Peak, Mt. Haystack, Mt. Skylight, Whiteface Mtn,Dix Mtn.
, Gray Peak, Iroquois Peak , Basin Mtn., Gothics, Mt. Colden, Giant Mtn., Nippletop,
Santanoni Peak, Mt. Redfield, Wright Peak, Saddleback Mtn., Panther Peak, Tabletop
Mtn., Rocky Peak Ridge, Macomb Mtn., Armstrong Mtn. ,Hough Peak, Seward Mtn.,
Mt. Marshall, Allen Mtn., Big Slide Mtn., Esther Mtn. , Upper Wolfjaw, Lower Wolfjaw
, Street Mtn., Phelps Mtn., Mt. Donaldson, Seymour Mtn., Sawteeth, Cascade Mtn.,
South Dix, Porter Mtn., Mt. Colvin, Mt. Emmons, Dial Mtn., East Dix, Blake, Cliff
Mtn., Nye Mtn., and Couchsachraga Peak.
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Adirondack Trail Guide
and Hiking Resource
Center
Adirondack
Culinary Arts
The Adirondacks & the Lake Champlain
Valley of Upstate New York & Vermont have long been known for their truly
unique & varied cuisine ranging from fresh caught native brook trout cooked
over an open campfire to world class dining at five star resorts. In the internationally
acclaimed Olympic Village of Lake Placid, diners can choose from exciting restaurants
with menus featuring everything from sushi and health foods to hearty Adirondack
homecooked meals. The
Culinary Arts program at Paul Smith's College in the Adirondacks was founded on
the principle of learning by doing. Many of todays local chefs learned their trade
at Paul Smith's.
Adirondack
Log homes and Adirondack Log Furniture
Here you will find a wealth of information
about Adirondack log cabin homes, log home floor plans, financing for log homes,
construction tips on log homes, Adirondack custom log homes, log home photographs,
and much, much more!
| Search
Thousands of Log Homes & Log Cabin Plans |
Log
Home Kit
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Photo courtesy
of Jim Grant
Current Adirondack weather and mountain forecasts
for hikers and climbers
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here |
| | Emergency
Regulations Adopted For High Peaks Wilderness Area
New York State DEC
click here |
We invite you to visit
our gallery of Adirondack High Peaks photos by
outdoor photographers Carl
Heilman and Frank Houck.
| The
Olympic Village of Lake Placid
Nestled in the High Peaks
The
High Peaks Region is home to the Olympic Village of Lake Placid hosting the 1932
and 1980 Winter Olympics.
Lake Placid has also been host
for a variety of world class events including the ESPN Outdoor Games, World Cup
bobsled and luge, the Ironman Triathalon, international figure skating, Empire
State Games and the "I Love NY" Horse Shows. The Lake Placid / High
Peaks Region offers visitors a rich variety of historic, artistic and cultural
attractions.
 |
“West
Branch Ausable River” by photographer Frank
Houck | Lake
Placid's Olympic attractions include famous Whiteface Mountain, boasting the greatest
vertical drop in the East and the Mackenzie Intervale Olympic Ski Jumping Complex,
where you can ride
to the top of the 26 story, 120 meter ski jump in a glass enclosed elevator! Other
venues include the Mt. Van Hoevenberg bobsled and luge track where you can take
an exhilarating ride down the only dedicated bobsled run
in the US.
KeeneValleyNY.com gives you everything you need to know to plan your mountain
adventure online when visiting Upstate New York and the Adirondacks. It's all
right here at your fingertips . . . with just a click of your mouse!
ONLINE
VISITOR & RELOCATION GUIDE |
Click here to get valuable resources and tools to help you relocate, buy a home,
find a great loan & much more! | |
Keene
Valley New York .com
Phone: 518-891-3745
Fax: 518-891-3768
E-Mail: RobGrant@northnet.org
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